VFW SS 2010: Red Jade

After seeing Red Jade designer Margarita Angelatos win the Generation Next competition at BC Fashion Week last year, I was especially keen to see what she had up her sleeve for spring/summer 2010. The collection she presented at Vancouver Fashion Week definitely did not disappoint. Separates ranged from highly structured to loose and flowing, but always featured some interesting detail that drew the audience's eye, making it linger over a drape here or a row of snaps there, a certain pleat or a well-placed button. It's hard to believe, but this luxe-looking line is eco-friendly and made from natural materials such as hemp, organic cotton, silk, and linen.

By sticking to a minimalist colour palette of cream, white, gray, yellow, and black, Angelatos created a cohesive collection where the pieces worked well with each other or by themselves. There was a lot to covet, from the high-waisted shorts with buttons down the front to Red Jade's wearable version of the harem trouser. Surprisingly slim-fitting throughout the leg, high-waisted, and gathered through the ankle with a row of snaps down the side, this is a pant that would pair well with an architectural statement heel.

I can't decide which piece stole the show: the double-breasted coat with oversized black buttons, which drew admiring murmurs from audience members sitting next to me, or the abstract print maxi dress with touches of gold in its fabric.

Great reviews of both the Lav & Kush and Red Jade shows! I esp love the yellow dress by Red Jade, I'm going through a yellow phase right now haha. Thanks for your comments and support for my ban, I def need all the help I can get! and yes I will consider having one indulgence category.. I am getting lash extensions done this weekend so it might have to be beauty and products in general lol.

The clothes are nice, but not particularly exciting, especially for a runway show. But then again, very wearable and nice (I too, like the yellow dress a lot!). I just wish there was a little more oomph, kind of like what we would see at fashion weeks elsewhere. Vancouver has a very market-oriented approach to design.

Looks like a great casual chic line, but I think the last dress is probably my favorite, just because it looks more unique compared to the other pieces. I really like the eco-friendly factor of this though... I think this is why some here are deeming the looks boring, but you need to remember that creating chic looks out of natural fabrics isn't always easy.

Haute-Shopper, you bring up an excellent point. I think it's a revelation in and of itself that eco-friendly apparel can be chic and elegant considering that many people still think of it as drab and hippie-ish.

Annching, perhaps your sense of ennui with the Vancouver design scene comes from exposure to design from other cities. I don't blame you--sometimes I become a little apathetic to clothes because I have a "seen it, seen it, nothing new" attitude. However, I think Vancouver's design scene is still relatively young compared to fashion cities (like Paris or NYC) with a tradition of style innovation. Designing clothes for the pure aesthetic pleasure of them without a thought to the market, wearability, and public appeal is a luxury--a luxury that many Vancouver designers probably can't afford because they're trying to establish themselves and make a living.

I was googling something and I came across this. I didn't come back and get to read your response to my comment, but now that I've read it, here's what I have to add.

My only exposure to fashion from other cities has in fact only been through the internet (I've never been able to travel much throughout my life). I did go to fashion school, and my mission has always been to strike the right balance between wearable and exciting (which doesn't necessarily have to mean innovative, because that comes rare). I understand your point, but mine is that to me, the fashion of Vancouver is growing, but in itself, it is a cycle. The fashion weeks and runway shows feed off of the market here, and the market dictates what we see on the runway. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the clothes (I like them very much), but I think that the point of runway is completely different than say, a sales meeting. Often what happens for runway shows in the big cities is they know that it is for show. Most pieces do not make it to the racks, but are used to hype up the brand. It is not a place to think about buying, but rather promoting and PR. I'm not sure what the point of the fashion weeks in Vancouver is, but I think it is somewhat of a cross between the two? And I don't think we can get the serious credibility in the fashion industry from the way it is approached now.

My ennui stems from the fact that I believe that runway and store-ready clothes are two separate entities. Such is the nature of fashion. I'm not saying Vancouver can't change that, but its a lofty goal. I'm not sure its VFW's aim.

Yes, these designers are trying to make a living. But, to be honest, the cost of producing a fashion often outweighs the benefits when it comes to sales figures (PR and public awareness, however, is harder to measure). I know firsthand that when a designer puts his or her money into a fashion show, it is definitely not for direct sales, but for the credibility of simply having put on a fashion show. There are less expensive ways to make money as a designer (good money in PR agencies, smart marketing, sales agents, are things that come to mind.)

I think the clothes are great, but I still think its a very market-oriented approach to design that I find out of place in a runway show. My comment has no relation to making a living as a designer or Vancouver's approach to design as a whole (I love the uniqueness of the industry here), just to do with the fact that it is tied in with a fashion show.

For example, I know that when I launch a line, it will probably not have a place at a fashion week because it is just not the type of line that would make an impact on the runway, so my money would better be suited towards perhaps a trunk show, great photography, good PR people.

I went to a very market-oriented fashion design school, makes sense that our education reflects our environment. So I understand this concept of marketability very well. Looking forward, I'd like to think that we embrace our industry for what it is and stop trying to be something that intersects two. We should be the best Vancouver fashion industry we can be. This, in time, I think will change as you pointed out that we are indeed a young fashion city that is still establishing its identity.

Being an aspiring designer myself, I have to say though, that I very much appreciate and commend you on your avid support for local designers. I cannot believe I blabbered on for so long! I just love to discuss the fashion industry, it is one of my passions, aside from actual clothes lol.